MESOTHELIOMA IN WOMEN

Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer affecting the protective lining that covers many of the body’s internal organs, including the lungs and abdomen. Mesothelioma most commonly occurs in men who worked with or around asbestos-containing products. These men may have worked in shipyards, automobile garages, or at construction sites where asbestos-containing products were prevalent throughout the 20th century. However, many women today are also being diagnosed with mesothelioma, which makes them wonder how in the world they could have been exposed to asbestos, as they have never worked with or around it. They were a homemaker or had a white collar job for their entire life, and now they are afflicted by a cancer that is uniquely associated with asbestos exposure. In this article, we will explore one source of such exposure and that is laundry.

For many decades, mothers, sisters, and wives have been responsible for various household chores including the laundry. The men of family came home from a hard day’s work covered in dust. They threw their clothes in the laundry and cleaned themselves up before dinner. Later on, the mother, sister, or wife pulled those clothes out of the laundry basket and washed them. Many times before the clothes went into the washing machine, whoever was doing the laundry shook the clothes out to get rid of the extra dust. Shaking out the clothes created a cloud of dust that lingered in the air. When the dust fell to the floor, it was eventually swept up, there again, stirring up dust. Handling the clothes, shaking them out, and cleaning up thereafter all created opportunities for airborne asbestos dust to be breathed in.

Both the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Centers for Disease Control have recognized that, “Most cases of asbestos disease among workers’ family members occurred in households where information indicated that asbestos-containing work clothing was brought into the home and women were exposed during home laundering of contaminated work clothing.”¹ The health consequences of laundering asbestos contaminated clothing are most relevant to mesothelioma which “can result from very low levels of exposure.” Id.

The father, husband, or son could have worked at a job 20 years ago where he came into contact with asbestos dust. He could have worked there for years or as little as a few months. Regardless of the amount and duration of exposure, asbestos can cause mesothelioma in family members who fell victim of the so called “take-home” asbestos exposure.

The companies that utilized asbestos-containing products were able to protect the worker and his family. Unfortunately, not only did many of those companies knowingly disregard the health of the individuals who worked with their products, they also, in effect, disregarded the health of the workers’ family. Many companies never provided warnings about the dangers of asbestos or instituted preventative measures. Those companies knew that asbestos was dangerous and chose not to inform the individuals who handled their products about the dangers associated with asbestos. If they had done so, thousands of innocent lives could have been saved.

If someone told you that the dust you brought home on your clothing was going to make your family devastatingly ill, would you have ever worn those clothes home? The most probable answer is, not only would you have not endangered your family by doing so, but you would have also taken measures to protect yourself from the dreadful consequences of asbestos exposure.

¹ See Report to Congress on Workers’ Home Contamination Study Conducted Under the Workers’ Family Protection Act (29 U.S.C. 671a) at 7.

Why Choose Levy Konigsberg?

Since the 1980s, Levy Konigsberg has evolved into a nationwide powerhouse for mesothelioma litigation in the U.S. Our national mesothelioma lawyers have represented numerous individuals and groups of workers, successfully securing multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts.

Our top-rated mesothelioma lawyers have:

• A massive knowledge of asbestos law and science
• Decades of experience to their legal practices
• Tried hundreds of asbestos and mesothelioma cases before juries
• Secured record mesothelioma and asbestos compensation verdicts
• Achieved some of the highest peer reviews and ratings available
• Helped hundreds of satisfied clients

Additionally, we offer:

• A caring and understanding approach to your case
• Personalized attention and counsel based on each unique case
• No upfront costs for handling your mesothelioma case
• Fast and efficient handling of your mesothelioma case
• Frequent case updates and reliable attorney accessibility

Understanding the science of asbestos exposure is an invaluable resource. One of the many benefits of our early involvement in mesothelioma litigation is our access to pioneering researchers and experts in this complex and ever-changing medical field. We put these experts to work on behalf of our clients, in the courtroom and in treatment of their disease.

Our lawyers bring to bear on every case a level of experience that can only come from decades of working together toward a common goal—maximum compensation for mesothelioma victims and their families.

Each new generation of mesothelioma attorneys at the firm acquires the skills, techniques, and knowledge of our senior partners through mentoring relationships. Not only does this benefit every lawyer, but it also benefits our clients in the form of consistently successful representation.

A Long History of Success in Mesothelioma Cases

Countless lawyers who advertise themselves as mesothelioma attorneys have never actually handled an asbestos case before. In fact, they refer them out to real mesothelioma lawyers for a fee.

That is not how we operate.

We are true, experienced mesothelioma attorneys who personally work on each case from beginning to end. We are always happy to meet our clients, whether at our New York, New Jersey, California, Georgia, Washington, or Maryland offices, at a client’s home or hospital, or anywhere in the country.

Our legal team has succeeded by negotiating tirelessly with manufacturers of asbestos products and their insurance companies, no matter how influential or uncooperative they are. We are even often able to recover compensation from companies that have long been bankrupt.

Most defense lawyers are familiar with our solid reputation and credentials and know in advance that we will not settle for less than the best possible offer. They know that we build every mesothelioma and asbestos case as if it is going to trial, and we have taken hundreds of cases to juries when a fair settlement had not been offered.

The mesothelioma attorneys at Levy Konigsberg have also served as lead counsel in major state and federal mass consolidation cases designed to benefit many hundreds of people diagnosed with mesothelioma and other types of asbestos-related diseases.

We are proud of the work our lawyers do on behalf of our clients, often in groundbreaking cases against the toughest defendants. Our law firm has obtained landmark asbestos and mesothelioma jury verdicts for exposures to welding rods, cable, asbestos gaskets and packing, commercial talc, and industrial equipment, including the first-ever jury verdicts against welding rod, cable, and commercial talk manufacturers.

Our law firm is frequently referenced by the legal press for our association with the largest and landmark asbestos and mesothelioma verdicts in virtually every category, including various jurisdictions, types of asbestos products involved, and forms of asbestos exposure.

We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for victims of mesothelioma and asbestos cancers, and we are prepared to fight for you.

Providing Your Case with the Individual Attention It Deserves

Unfortunately, many law firms today use a generalized approach to handling cases of the same type, even those as complex as mesothelioma cases.

With a goal of cutting back on the time spent on each case, they use broad-brush practices and techniques to process cases as fast as they can, often risking the possibility of missing important details in a case and, thus, undermining the goal of negotiating the best possible compensation for their clients.

Contrary to such mentality, we treat every case as if it was our only one. We investigate each case with a team of lawyers, paralegals, and leading experts in the field, all while being in constant communication with the clients, to ensure that we have done everything we could to reach the full potential of each individual case.

In many courts, mesothelioma cases are treated urgently and given high priority. This is particularly true if the claimant is alive. In some jurisdictions, the entire case can be resolved within four to five months; in others, it can take longer.

Here, at Levy Konigsberg, our mesothelioma cancer attorneys do everything possible to avoid delays and move our clients’ cases as quickly as we can. We accomplish this in large part due to the coordinated work of our team members and the fact that every mesothelioma case goes through a strict control and supervision, including regular follow-ups and reviews by the lead lawyers.

Our mesothelioma attorneys update clients on a regular basis, so that they always know of every important development on their case and that it is being taken care of. Our lawyers and support staff take every phone call with a high level of priority and try to answer them on the spot.

If unavailable at that very moment, we call clients back as promptly as possible. It is not uncommon that our mesothelioma attorneys provide clients with their personal cell phone numbers to address any urgent questions that the clients may have in the future.

Reach Out to Our Award-Winning Mesothelioma Attorneys Today for a Free Consultation

Our mesothelioma attorneys fight for justice on behalf of innocent people, including the victims of deadly asbestos exposure. Companies that knew the threat asbestos poses must be held accountable for the illnesses and harm that resulted from their negligence. If you were exposed to asbestos, the mesothelioma lawyers at Levy Konigsberg are ready to help.

Our partners have been honored with an AV® Preeminent™ rating, the highest given, from the nationwide Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™. Year after year, our partners are designated by their peers as Super Lawyers® and as the Best Lawyers® in America.

While we are proud of our awards and accolades, our clients remain the central and most important part of our practice. Their satisfaction is our top priority. We understand that every client’s case is their whole life. Our attorneys treat each client with the care they deserve, addressing their unique needs and doing our utmost to help them put their life back together as much as possible.

We offer a free initial consultation, and cover the expenses of building your case, so there is no cost to you unless we recover compensation for you.

We have offices located in New York, New Jersey, California, Georgia, Washington, and Maryland. Many of our mesothelioma lawyers are licensed to practice law in a number of U.S. states and have the capability and extensive experience of representing mesothelioma clients throughout the United States. You are encouraged to contact us with any questions.

Cases of Asbestos Exposure

• Asbestos Exposure At Lilco
• Asbestos Exposure Bowline Powerhouse Haverstraw New York
• Asbestos Exposure Charles Pfizer Plant Brooklyn New York
• Asbestos Exposure Eastman Kodak Rochester New York
• Asbestos Exposure Kentile Floors Brooklyn New York
• Asbestos Exposure Roseton Generating Station Newburgh New York
• Asbestos Exposure Todd Shipyard Brooklyn Hoboken
• Asbestos Exposures Aes Hickling Generation Plant Corning New York
• Asbestos Exposures Aes Jennison Bainbridge New York
• Asbestos Exposures Albany Steam Station
• Asbestos Exposures Alcoa Massena New York
• Asbestos Exposures At Huntley Generating Station Tonawanda New York
• Asbestos Exposures Beesley Point Generating Station Cape May New Jersey
• Asbestos Exposures Consolidated Shipbuilding Bronx New York
• Asbestos Exposures Danskammer Generation Station Newburgh New York
• Asbestos Exposures Dunkirk Generating Station New York
• Asbestos Exposures Federal Shipbuilding Drydock Kearny New Jersey
• Asbestos Exposures Fitzpatrick Nuclear Plant Scriba New York
• Asbestos Exposures General Dynamics Plant Avenel New Jersey
• Asbestos Exposures General Electric Schenectady New York
• Asbestos Exposures Ginna Nuclear Power Plant
• Asbestos Exposures Greenidge Generation Plant Dresden New York
• Asbestos Exposures Hudson Generating Station Jersey City New Jersey
• Asbestos Exposures Kintigh Generating Station Barker New York
• Asbestos Exposures Military Shipyard Terminal Bayonne New Jersey
• Asbestos Exposures Milliken Power Station Lansing New York
• Asbestos Exposures National Lead Company Sayreville New Jersey
• Asbestos Exposures Nine Mile Point Nuclear Generating Station Oswego New York
• Asbestos Exposures Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station Forked River New Jersey
• Asbestos Exposures Orange and Rockland’s Lovett Power Plant – Tompkins Cove, New York
• Asbestos Exposures Proctor Gamble Staten Island New York
• Asbestos Exposures Pseg Linden Generating Station Linden New Jersey
• Asbestos Exposures Reynolds Metals Company Massena New York
• Asbestos Exposures Salem Nuclear Generating Station Hope Creek Generating Station Salem County New Jersey
• Asbestos Exposures Samuel Carlson Generating Station Jamestown New York
• Asbestos Exposures Suffered Beebee Station Rochester New York
• Asbestos Exposures Suffered C R Huntley Generating Station Tonawanda New York
• Asbestos Exposures Suffered Indian Point Nuclear Plant Buchanan New York
• Asbestos Exposures Suffered Kearny Generating Station Kearny New Jersey
• Asbestos Exposures Suffered Mercer Generating Station Hamilton New Jersey
• Asbestos Exposures Suffered Orange Rocklands Lovett Power Plant Tompkins Cove New York
• Asbestos Exposures Suffered Russell Station Rochester New York
• Asbestos Exposures Westover Power Station Johnson City New York

ATTENTION: Mesothelioma has no known cure and often causes severe pain, suffering, and other types of damage, such as loss of consortium, and loss of income. Additionally, due to the exceedingly high cost of mesothelioma treatments, many families exhaust savings and accumulate financial debt in order to pay for the medical expenses of their family member.

Under the law of most states, pain and suffering from mesothelioma may be compensated through the award of money damages, usually obtained with the help of experienced mesothelioma attorneys. In some states other types of damages may also be recovered.

Asbestos litigation affords mesothelioma victims the opportunity to receive financial compensation and hold accountable the companies that caused their asbestos exposure.

IMPORTANT: If you or your family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should get in touch with a mesothelioma lawyer as early as possible to determine if you have a mesothelioma case and to:

• Preserve your rights to bring a legal action against the responsible parties within the limited time frame allowed by law, known as statute of limitations;
• Obtain maximum compensation in your case by being able to:
  • Preserve evidence and establish facts of the asbestos exposure while the claimant is still alive and able to provide information;
  • File and resolve a lawsuit against the responsible parties before they file for bankruptcy or, if they already have, to obtain compensation before their bankruptcy trust funds run out of money;
• Expedite your case, as courts tend to give higher priority to mesothelioma lawsuits where the claimant is still alive.

NOTE: We have offices located in New York, New Jersey, California, Georgia, Washington, and Maryland. Many of our mesothelioma lawyers are licensed to practice law in a number of U.S. states and have the capability and extensive experience of representing mesothelioma clients throughout the United States. You are encouraged to contact us with any questions.

Since the 1970s, our founding partners were pioneers in championing the rights of asbestos and mesothelioma victims. In fact, Stan Levy was the first personal injury lawyer in the Northeast to pursue an asbestos case and one of the first mesothelioma attorneys in America.

Later, in 1985, he formed Levy Konigsberg with a mission to apply his extensive experience and legal knowledge to seek justice and financial compensation on behalf of asbestos and mesothelioma victims across the United States.

Find out whether you have a case by speaking to one of our experienced mesothelioma lawyers.